The present invention relates to a releasing mechanism for a foot operated parking brake for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly relates to a releasing system for impelling a release lever assembly of a foot operated parking brake so that it displaces a pawl from engagement with a ratchet formed on the brake pedal.
In more detail, the present invention relates to a coupling mechanism which couples such a release lever assembly to the end of a release cable, so that, when the release cable is pulled, the release lever assembly may be impelled in the direction to displace the pawl from engagement with the ratchet.
In FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, there are shown in perspective view two prior art constructions for attaching the end of such a release cable to such a release lever assembly.
In FIG. 1, the release lever is designated by 9', and the release cable is designated by 12'. The end of the release lever 9' is bent around into a U-shape, and two opposing openings 26' are pierced in the opposite sides of this U-shape. A slot is cut from the side of one of the openings 26' to the edge of the release lever. On the end of the release cable 12' there is attached a cylindrical pin 18'. The cylindrical pin 18' is engaged into the openings 26', by passing the cable 12' through the aforementioned slot during fitting, and by turning the cable 12' around to its position shown in the drawing, and, thereby, the end of the release cable 12' is coupled to the release lever 9' with rotational movement therebetween being possible around one rotational axis, with one degree of freedom.
In FIG. 2, an alternative prior art construction is shown. In this construction, the release lever 9" is formed with a coupling projection protruding from the side of its end, and a hole 16' is formed through this projection. The release cable 12' passes through this hole 16', and on the end of the release cable 12' there is attached, by soldering or the like, a ball shaped stop member 25'. Therefore, when the release cable 12' is pulled, the ball shaped stop member 25' engages with the edge 17' of the hole 16', so as to couple the release cable 12' to the lower end in the drawing of the release lever 9".
However, both these prior art constructions have their drawbacks.
The prior art construction shown in FIG. 1 has a drawback that the metal-to-metal frictional contact between the cylindrical pin portion 18' and the sides of the holes 26' in the release lever 9' will be relatively rough, and, accordingly, smooth rotation of the release cable 12' with respect to the release lever 9' will not be properly assured. Yet further, this construction has another drawback, in that, in order to fit the release cable 12' to the release lever 9', it is necessary to approach the release cable 12' to the holes 26' in the bent over U-shaped portion of the release lever 9' from a direction approximately 180.degree. opposite to its final position as shown in the drawing, and, because of the restricted space available in a parking brake foot pedal assembly, especially during assembly thereof to the vehicle for which it is intended, this may prove to be very difficult.
The construction shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings, likewise, has disadvantage that the metal-to-metal contact between the ball shaped stop member 25' and the edge 17' of the hole 16' will not be a smooth contact, and another disadvantage that the release cable 12' interferes with the edge 17', when the cable 12' is inclined much relative to the release lever 9", resulting in bending of the release cable 12' at its portion proximate to the stop member 25'. Over a long service life, such repeated bending to and fro of the end portion of the release cable 12' may well result in premature failure and fracture thereof.